A Journey Through Johto and Life
by iCanBeMature
Summary: Yuuta is a lonesome guy, but finds a stranger he can actually tolerate. By helping him, he will help himself to understand and come to terms with his past, and to find value in his future - which may be brighter than he once thought. - Johto adventure, rated T for future chapters
1. Strangers Meet

The dabbled leaves glistened in the sunlight, the lowest branches still shaded and dark green with moss creeping up the thick tree trunks, though the pokémon within the vicinity were all hunkered down. Refusing to venture far from their homes. There was a family of Hoothoot with their feathers ruffled up to their necks settled in a hole in a nearby tree, but their parents were nowhere to be seen. It worried Yuuta as he'd been in the area for three days. They must have been starving…

The light faded quickly and the boy tilted his head up, the faithful Bayleef beside him following his gaze, and grey clouds had rolled in. No sooner had they blocked out the sun, thunder split through the eerily silent forest. A Furret and her newly evolved young scurried past his set up while the first few drops of rain dotted down against the forest floor with a gentle patter. Bayleef lowered her head back down to protect some of the dry land she was on while blades of long grass brushed past her face in the breeze that came with the thunder and rain. Yuuta pet one hand on her neck and spoke softly, "Don't worry Dumpling, it will pass." He stroked his friend for a few seconds before the rain turned heavy and thunder rumbled across the sky once more, "Come on girl," He twisted his body to unzip the small, triangular prism shaped camo tent behind the pair where he kept all of his gear, pokébelt included, to retrieve the black, red and yellow ball, "Time to return."

Bayleef lifted her head again as the rain rippled against her large leaf and bounced and rolled off in large dew drops. She almost smiled as Yuuta opened the pokéball before she was transferred back inside. It was lonesome without her but she simply wouldn't fit inside the tent that Yuuta crawled into. It was deafening so the 18 year old rummaged inside his rucksack to retrieve his pokégear and headphones but before putting them in he sat on his hand and knees to shut the tents opening in order to keep the rain out and protect his belongings. As he reached up to grab the zip at the top of the tent, he noticed a Noctowl on the branches of the tree not too far away. Its large eyes seemed tired but locked on Yuuta with a piercing fierceness, probably weary of the stranger, but the trainer finished locking himself inside and made no fuss to show he was not a threat to the young that harped for some food.

He lay down inside his sleeping bag with his pokégear in hand and headphones plugged in after pulling his rucksack and pokébelt up to the top of the tent by his head; he hated leaving them near the entrance after a group of Mankey harassed him and stole his weeks' worth of supplies… Lesson learnt. Yuuta tapped into the radio channels to tune into Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk show. He enjoyed hearing about different pokémon and the little details you could easily miss about them, but especially where to find them. He was located in Ilex Forest simply because Professor Oak had recently highlighted a strange phenomenon within the location, but Yuuta hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, and everyone that had rang up the station had complained that 'nothing happened'. Still, he was willing to wait here longer. He enjoyed making camp in forests and meadows most, as there just seemed to be more life, so he would never complain about that. It was also easier to navigate in his opinion…

' _Although many reports came in by trainers trekking through Ilex forest last Thursday, it appears the forest has settled down.'_ Professor Oak seemed to be tying the events up in a neat bow to prevent more complaints coming through, and Mary quickly added her two cents, _'Please continue to enjoy the land and all of its inhabitants!'_ From there, they swiftly moved on to discuss other areas and sift through incoming calls from trainers and travellers alike, but Yuuta was somewhat disappointed that they had given up so easily on the Ilex incident, and Professor Oak sounded disheartened too. Apparently a holy-like light had flooded the area and strange echoing sounds could be heard for miles. No one was near enough to the centre to determine the cause, but it was intriguing as the last known incident was many, many years ago. The locals had sent out a search party to investigate the cause and seemed to be worried about trainers in the dense forest, which only made Yuuta more determined to stay put until something came from the whole situation. He flicked through channels and but nothing else grabbed his attention like usual, but between stations he heard twigs snapping, causing him to remove an ear bud. The footsteps grew louder and he grew more worried; not because of safety concerns or anything of that sort, but Yuuta simply didn't like the company of others and didn't want to be found. Still, he reluctantly emerged from his sleeping bag and unzipped the tent.

With his head poked out, he noticed a boy running somewhat lazily and seemingly panting, just several meters from his campsite. Cardio must not have been his best area. Just a couple meters more and he almost doubled over, hands on his knees and taking deep breaths. With the temperature having dropped from the break in humidity, white plumes of breath were visible against the muggy background and Yuuta sighed, a slight furrow creeping into his brows. The other boy decided to rest against a tree trunk and seemed utterly startled when Yuuta's husky voice pierced through the sound of heavy rain, "Hey! Is something wrong?"

His hand was pressed against his heart which pounded inside his chest, eyes like a Deerlings in headlights and his short red hair was claggy against his forehead, "Ah, h-hello!" He shouted back nervously and waved with a crooked, tired smile, "I'm okay!" The boy looked a bit dishevelled and exhausted, almost as if waiting for an invitation to come over.

Yuuta fully opened up the tent and beckoned the other over with his hand before disappearing back inside to grab a towel from his rucksack. It was such a pain helping others out, but he felt obliged really. Meanwhile, the stranger had walked over and was fidgeting with his hands, not really sure what to do with himself. But soon enough he reached the shaded tent and was given the plain white towel, "Use this to dry off and take your shoes off please, then you may come in." It was taken with a thanks, but seemed redundant considering it was still actually pouring down… Either way, he ruffled his hair to shake off the excess water and then patted down his bare arms and legs since he was wearing just a t-shirt and shorts, "You finished?" Yuuta prompted and was handed back the towel before the male crouched and offered up a smile.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," He said quietly as he shuffled in and zipped the pair inside, "I didn't realise it was going to rain today…" His voice tapered off while he sat cross legged; the two took up the majority of the tent obviously designed for one. Although it did seem funny to the redhead because Yuuta's head was almost touching the top of the waterproof tent. As the towel was set aside, he suddenly realised he'd not even introduced himself, "Um, I'm Shin by the way..." Yuuta looked at him, thinking he didn't really 'look' like a Shin, but then again, his own name wasn't really a good reflection either. At least he didn't believe so. Still, he stopped himself from sighing and decided to return the pleasantries.

"My name's Yuuta, I'm surprised anyone is this far out." The taller male remarked, meaning not many people travelled off the foot paths and ended up in the thickest areas of the forest. "What were you doing out there?" He had to speak up a little so as to make himself understandable what with the rain showing no signs of letting up.

Shin continued to smile a bit awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders while Yuuta took in the predicament and assessed the stranger; he had no visible pokémon and no bag, "I was just passing through and got attacked, but I couldn't find my way back to a path. I'm not as prepared for the forest like you," He stated while his eyes looked beyond Yuuta to his rucksack, "I don't have a map to find my way back, and even if I did," He continued with a shy laugh, "I wouldn't know how to read one."

Yuuta offered a smile but felt like he was a bit naïve to have trekked out without confidence in travelling alone. Assuming he was alone, anyway, "Were you with anyone else?" It worried him that someone else might have been caught out in the rain, but Shin quickly shook his head, "I see… Then at least you're out of the rain." He didn't know what to suggest, as yes, he could help him back to a pathway, but he didn't want to be heading away from his camp for a full day's trek.

The redhead nodded and thanked him again for the help, "I don't mind heading back myself once it stops… I really appreciate your hospitality."

"You're welcome… I'll point you in the right direction in that case." Yuuta blinked and looked down at his pokégear which was still playing to itself, "Don't you have a pokégear?" He turned back to focus his attention on the other who looked caught out, which puzzled Yuuta.

Everyone had one, so it was odd that this stranger did not – clearly, as he now looked shifty.

"No, I don't – I was in a hurry leaving, so…" His voice trailed off, but Yuuta refused to break the silence and change the subject, "I left my belongings home, so all I have is my pokémon."

Well, at least he was _somewhat_ normal then, and hadn't headed out with no safety. Yuuta drew in a long breath and slowly sighed, more leaves rustling outside with the wind picking up, but it was nothing too worrying. Still, he looked at Shin and asked what pokémon he had. At least that would be a semi-interesting topic. The smaller boy dug his hand into the deep short pockets and pulled out two small, plain pokéballs, "I have a Poliwhirl, and a Snubble." He didn't sound particularly happy, or interested, but he did smile down at the balls in his hand before returning them to his pocket; not really the safest place for them, but at least he had companions, "What about yourself?" Shin swept some of his locks back off his face and returned his hands to his lap.

"I've got a few pokémon," He turned to grab his belt and dragged it over, pointing to each pokéball, "Bayleef, Eevee, Ambipom, Tauros and Ursaring." Every one of them had a different coloured and styled ball which fascinated Shin, but he refrained from asking too many questions, he didn't want to be a bother after all.

"Wow, you must be a great trainer! I'm 17 but I've only kept pokémon since last year… I don't know much, so I suppose I'm still a beginner." More thunder cut off the younger male, but Yuuta supposed it made sense if he only had two.

"I see…" He didn't really know how else to respond and didn't want to lap up any compliments, "I'm not sure when this rain will stop. It seems to be getting worse…"

Shin nodded quietly, soft spoken despite the rain, "I don't want to be a bother, so I'll leave you be if you even if it doesn't stop."

The taller male thought it unwise, considering how dangerous thunderstorms could be. Especially if lighting struck nearby, "Don't worry. We can wait it out. If there is a break, we can make a simple shelter to see us through. We won't both fit in here after all…" It was cramped enough as it was, and Shina blinked in surprise; this guy seemed to have everything and be prepared for anything. He'd probably of caught pneumonia stuck out in the rain all night knowing his bad luck.

"Only if you're sure, and I can help! Just tell me what to do." Shin smiled and Yuuta nodded lightly, telling him it was fine. He could survive with company for one night surely. A silence fell between the pair as rain continued to hit against the tent and it was soothing, not particularly awkward. It felt like they both preferred their own company, so the silence was actually welcomed…


	2. A proposal?

There was a gentle _'tap'_ as Shin sourced through the pokédex of the taller male who was currently grinding up dried berries in what looked like a bowl, somewhat ceramic and delicate, but obviously must have been durable as Yuuta was using some force. It was actually a mortar and pestle used to grind medicines in traditionally, but it was useful for all sorts. Every now and then he chanced a look over while he kept himself busy. He looked sturdy, broad. His dark hair seemed well kept unlike his own and was much closer to his head. A glance was passed over to him and the younger male blinked embarrassedly and focused immediately back on the pokédex. Shin had previously thought it was dangerous to have invited a total stranger in, but this guy was built well – not so much like a house, but still – so any trouble coming his way, Shin was sure he could deal with it. The constant scraping of the pestle against the mortar was at least enough to drown out some of the rain, but the redhead had noticed it was letting up, although Yuuta seemed in no hurry to leave while it was settling. As the pages in the pokédex idly past by, Poliwhirl's entry caught his attention and he read to himself.

' _The skin on most of its body is moist. However, the skin on its belly spiral feels smooth. Staring at it may cause drowsiness, though.'_

He'd never noticed such details… It made him feel less of a trainer since he couldn't even pay that little attention to his supposed 'companions'. Feeling sorrowful, he sighed to himself but Yuuta was finetuned to change, apparently, because he stopped his mixing and looked over, "Everything okay?" His husky voice previously seemed misplaced, but it actually kind of suited a burly man.

Still, Shin offered a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine." It seemed enough to settle the other who once again put his full attention and effort into the mixing, but the smaller male felt like the chance of conversation may be best to take up now. Sitting in silence was nice and all, but only for so long, "Hey, I noticed you have an entry for Poliwhirl."

He sounded a bit more chipper this time, engaged more of the word, so Yuuta entertained the notion of conversing. He twisted his body a little to the left to where his open rucksack was to fish out a bottle of milk by the looks of it, "Yeah, I have it." He answered more than replied, despite no real question being asked by Shin, "What of it?" The mortar was set in his lap while he unscrewed the plastic bottle.

Whilst pouring in roughly 100ml, he slowly stirred the mixture together anticlockwise, "I just never noticed this much detail myself… I was wondering," His voice fluctuated – a clear indication a proposition was going to made or something, "How do you evolve Poliwhirl?" Yuuta looked up, somewhat surprised that, a. he didn't know how when he must have had it a year, or so Yuuta assumed, and b. that Shin seemed genuinely interested in the answer. Of course Yuuta was no psychic, however, the smaller boy really didn't give off the 'trainer-invested-lifestyle' vibe. That said, he was willing to educate Shin.

"You need to use a water stone." The mixture thickened up too quickly, so he poured another small dash in before putting the Moomoo Milk away, "You can buy them in big cities, or sometimes from collectors and hikers. It's not impossible to find one yourself, but it requires a lot of effort."

He sloshed the mixture together until it was like a smooth paste and Shin nodded once and smiled more, "I see… I caught Poliwag last summer, but he seems to have hit his peak right now. I wanted him to evolve but nothing seemed to work." The redhead laughed once, "I guess I know why now." Yuuta was about to chime in, but he continued quickly, "I caught the guy in my own back yard! We have a water feature, and the little fella must have gotten attracted by the sound and drawn out by the rain – it was like today actually. Thundery showers… It was just a spur of the moment thing, you know?" The broad male smiled engagingly, "I'd just found a pokéball on the footpath home, and there he was the next week."

"I see… You remind me of my brother." Yuuta kept an appealing smile that, despite his size, seemed to suit him.

"Oh, I didn't realise you had one!" The two hadn't really conversed that much after all, "How're we alike? Is he a redhead too?" He laughed and pushed back his dried messy hair. He was always bullied for it but Shin liked it.

He looked interested and leaned forward ever so slightly with the pokégear clasped safely in his hands and Yuuta looked back to the mixture; almost finished, "Well, he was spontaneous. Always getting into trouble. When he was 9 he found a Pidgey that had a broken wing and wrapped it up in his jacket to bring home. Our mom was furious as we never had the money to really take care of pokémon, but Haru was obsessed." His shoulders shook with one laugh that seemed a bit empty, "He turned on the water works and my mam agreed to look after it until it healed. We only lived in a small village so it wasn't like we could have taken the thing to a pokémon centre."

Shin looked a bit disheartened despite the memory clearly being a happy one; ' _was'_ …? Maybe he just didn't see Haru because of travelling? Or maybe he'd grown up unlike Shin, "Has he changed over the years?" He was only trying to be optimistic, but as soon as the words left his mouth he felt like they were a poor choice.

Yuuta shook his head and tried to keep a collected demeanour, "No, no, he never changed a bit – he just passed away… Quite recently, actually." The mortar and pestle was set down against the level ground inside the tent and he picked up his pokébelt, picking out a heal ball which he held lightly in the palm of his large hands."

"Oh, I'm sorry… I just-"

"Don't apologise. It's okay." He was dealing with it, slowly, but every day he was coming to terms with his loss, "He wouldn't want us to be sad." His smile remained but didn't quite reach his eyes. Maybe that was why he'd been quiet then? It had never crossed Shin's mind, but then why would it? It was nothing he could have guessed.

A short silence fell, "I see…" Not wanting to dwell on the matter and make the other saddened, Shin pointed to the mortar with his finger, still holding the pokégear, "Let's change the subject then? What have you been making?"

Yuuta opened up his hand more to show off the pokéball, "It's just a meal for Eevee. She hasn't been well lately, so I've mixed together some berries and Moomoo Milk. It's got healing properties." He kept the faint smile to be polite, so his new companion didn't feel excluded or awkward, "How are your pokémon? If they need some I can half it." Yuuta pointed to the tent door which Shin was sat with his back too, "Let's stretch our legs outside either way. It sounds like the rain is settling a little."

The redhead nodded and returned the pleasant smile, unzipping the opening, "They should be okay, but I'll let them have some fresh air." Speaking of which, the new air was pure and uplifting, perfect to wash away the uneasy feeling brought on by knowing about Yuuta's loss, "Thank you, though..."

"You're welcome," He replied and followed him out. It was awkward trying to shimmy out without kneeling on the ground because of his height, but once there, he was relieved to stand and stretch his legs out in front of him. The broad male bent at the knees to set down the mortar and took the pestle, tapping it on the edge to shake off the excess while Shin took in the location. It was a nice setting and the rain was deceivingly light; it must have sounded worse amplified by the tent. Perhaps Yuuta had waited longer knowing that? He must have had plenty experience out camping.

As he released Eevee from her pokéball, she took and stretched and yawned sweetly before flashing her owner a weak smile. When the pokémon noticed he had company, she seemed uneasy, "Don't worry Eevee, he's a friend."

Shin blinked but smiled wholeheartedly nevertheless, crouching to be less intimidating, "Hi Eevee! You better eat all your medicine up." His smile was bright and pearly, teeth showing and eyes squinted shut. The little pokémon sniffed at the mortar before tucking in, the pink-white mixture obviously smelt appealing to her, "I'm glad she's eating it."

Yuuta nodded and stood straight, stretching his arms up above his head; he looked like a giant in comparison to Shin!

"Once she's done, we can try and get you out of this place." He offered. It seemed a bit sad that he saw the smaller male a friend but wanted to get on on his own way... Well, it wasn't like Shin could just follow him around forever. Although... Maybe for a least a bit longer?

"Urgh, I was thinking!" Eyes looked down at him, tired but willing to listen, "If possible - like if you're not busy - could you perhaps take me to a city or somewhere to buy a water stone...?"


End file.
